AQUACULTURE : Ogun State Boosts Fish Farming Revolution With Over 5,000 Farmers Participation

The Ogun State Government is ramping up aquaculture to drive economic growth, with the registration of 5,068 fish farmers under the Ogun State Farmers Information Management System (OGFIMS) and delivering free capacity-building to 4,362 farmers.

These programmes focus on group dynamics, record-keeping, and crafting bankable business proposals to boost productivity and unlock finance access.

Through the OGSTEP initiative, the state subsidized 195,436 bags of fish feed at 30%, at a cost exceeding ₦2.7 billion, slashing production expenses.

According to a statement on Friday, five modern fish clusters now operate in Eriwe, Ikangba/Agoro, Ikenne, Ado-Odo, and Ilashe, serving 4,362 farmers with shared infrastructure like cold rooms, 5-ton solar-powered blast freezers, 10-ton cold storage, smoking kilns, processing plants, lock-up shops, weighing scales, water tanks, and waste systems—cutting post-harvest losses and elevating product quality.

Nigeria faces a massive fish deficit: annual demand of 3.6 million metric tons against 1.4 million tons produced domestically, fueling $1.3 billion in imports.

The Ogun’s farmer-friendly administration is tackling high costs, finance gaps, and infrastructure woes head-on. These steps aim to curb imports, spur local output, generate jobs, and foster resilient livelihoods in a self-sufficient agricultural economy.

“Through these targeted interventions, we are working to reduce production costs, cut fish imports, minimise post-harvest losses, create jobs, and sustainably improve the livelihoods of our farmers, as we continue to build a resilient and self-sufficient agricultural economy for Ogun State.” The statement said.